Social Realism in the British Context [1]

British Social Realism – From Documentary to Brit Grit by Samantha Lay

1 Social Realism in the British Context

Realism or ‘realisms’

What are the problems with the phrasal term “social realism”? [opening paragraph]

The problem with the phrasal term “social realism”, is the way in which it is used, as it is used in such a care freeway and also too generally, that it can lose its actual meaning, because there is no careful thought in it.

What is the critical consensus about “realism”? [first paragraph]

The severely judged general agreement about “realism” is that it is gritty and raw, as it is looked upon as offering a view of ‘life as it really is’. It is the main style of representation from the Western World.

What factors helped to create the context within which the realist impulse first developed? [first paragraph]

• Because of the way social realist texts are described, they contribute to the term “social realism” which is often used alternatively with other terms, such as ‘kitchen sink’ realism, and ‘working class’ realism, which is sometimes confused with the original term. The political views of communism effected the working class, there was also starting to be a move away from the church, science also came into place. The move to the city was also a major factor.

What was the development of realism in the nineteenth century? [second paragraph]

• The concept of realism became a huge topic of debate among philosophers and artists alike, in the nineteenth century. There were a number of things that contributed to the assisting progress of debate and motivation of the desire to tell of life ‘as it is really lived’.

What is Carroll’s suggestion? [second paragraph]

• Because of an important feature of all realisms is how they are produced at specific historical points, Carroll’s suggestion is that the term “realism” should only be used with a particular word attached in front of it, such as “social-”, or “documentary-”. This is because this prefix will specify the ‘what’ and ‘when’ of that movement or moment.

Realism and the cinema

Describe the development of realism in the arts at the end of the nineteenth century. [first paragraph]

• Literature, theatre, and fine arts were being given support by practitioners of artistic and philosophic realism, who dealt with the philosophy of beauty themselves. There were developments of film, and photography, which would add further dimensions to the realist project.

What new possibilities did photography bring? [first paragraph]

• The development of photography bought new prospects of capturing or invoking a sense of ‘life as it is lived’.

What was the common quest shared by all media? [first paragraph]

• The quest shared by all media was to present the real nature of things that occur, via capturing them with different branches of media, and presenting the truth.

What is the problem with Truth? [first paragraph]

• There was an intensely contested search for the truth in cinema, just like there has been in photography, and theatre, because of the many critical eyes that view it.

What did Kracauer believe and what did his ideas about realism in film have in common with Zola’s about naturalism? [first paragraph]

• This film theorist believed film could represent the real, because it was unlike any other form of media. Kracauer’s conception linked to the conception promoted by Emile Zola, because she also believed that film was a practice precisely describing the actual circumstances of human life in literature, unlike any other.

What did Gerhardie believe to be the goal of naturalism? [first paragraph]

• Gerhardie believed that the goal of naturalism is to bring back the complete false belief of real life, using the things that are characteristic of real life.

Describe Bazin’s arguments. [second paragraph]

• Bazin contends that there are several realisms, each much different in its techniques of capturing realism. He also argues that audiences should be allowed to find their own realities within realist film texts, via the techniques, such as a long depth shot, which he believes will allow enough space for the negotiation of realism in the text.

What do all of these approaches commonly seek? [third paragraph]

• These various approaches seek to represent the truth of things that have become associated with realism, such as the different conventions and codes.

How do Branston and Stafford differentiate between the “realistic” nature of a Hollywood film and other “realist” texts? [third paragraph]

• Branston and Stafford argue that for a film to be realist, it must exhibit one of two characteristics, like the Hollywood films, which have basis, and reference. These characteristics include the intentions carried out by the film-maker to capture the experience of the real events, and the film-makers’ specific argument or message delivered to the social world. The filmmakers is trying to convey a message about the social world.

Defining social realism

Why is social realism so difficult to define? [first paragraph]

• Social realism depends on the events occurring at a particular time, and because social realism is constantly changing, and always liable to change, a definition of this is continuously difficult to be told.

How according to Hill are current realist texts linked to those from the past? [first paragraph]

• John Hill states that newly introduced realist ideas take place in a debate with what has gone before. According to Hill, they are 'underwriting their own appeal to be uncovering reality, via exposing the unnaturally occurrences, and the traditionally accepted passes for reality in the past'.

What does Samantha Lay say is a key feature of realist texts? [second paragraph]

• Samantha Lay says that a key feature of realist texts is the way character and place are linked, in order to explore an aspect of modern life, in a similar way to a style of art and literature that shows people as they are in real life.

How do Hallam and Marshment explain this defining characteristic? [second paragraph]

• Hallam and Marshment contend that this is a way of including information irrelevant to the main subject of films. This is aimed at films which aim to show the effects of environmental factors on the development of character, through true representations that emphasise the relationship between identity and location.

How does Lowenstein see social realism? [second paragraph]

• Lowenstein sees social realism as being bound up with moments of social crisis, relating to the present time.

What are Raymond Williams’ four criteria for defining realist texts? [second paragraph]

• Raymond Williams’ four criteria, the first of which includes the belief that realist works prefer to illustrate human truth, rather than divine truths (secular). The second is that realist texts are grounded in the contemporary scene in terms of setting, character, and social issues. The third criteria are the issues of social exclusion, meaning that realist texts tend to extend the range of characters and topics, to include marginal or previously under-represented groups and issues in society. The fourth and final criteria focuses on the intent of the artist, as most realist texts are influenced by the political intent of the artist, to a certain degree.